A leading Cape Town priest with more than 40 years experience in the church and with deep roots in its anti-apartheid struggle has been announced as the next Dean of St George’s Cathedral, Cape Town.
The Venerable Terry Lester, currently an archdeacon in Cape Town and previously sub-dean of the cathedral, will be installed in his new post on February 2 next year. He will serve a term of three years, succeeding the recently-retired Dean Michael Weeder.
Dean-elect Lester has said of his ministry in the church:
“During the turbulent years of apartheid, with its harsh restrictions on gatherings for black people, the church became a sanctuary for me, a place where I could explore both my faith and my politics. It was within this space that I discovered opportunities for leadership and found a platform to speak truth to power.
“I was deeply inspired by liberation theologians and the radical message of Jesus, which called for a commitment to justice, equality and the pursuit of a better world for all South Africans and oppressed peoples.”
Dean-Elect Lester’s family was one of those expelled from Strawberry Lane, Constantia, to Grassy Park, under apartheid’s forced removals policy. In recent years, he has returned “home”, to serve as rector of Christ Church, Constantia, a prominent landmark in the area.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba nominated Dean-elect Lester to a council, comprising representatives of both the cathedral and the wider Anglican Diocese of Cape Town, specially convened to elect a new dean. He was not on the original list of nominees, but was proposed by Archbishop Makgoba after a first round of voting did not produce a clear result. He was elected unanimously.
Announcing the appointment, St George’s Cathedral said:
“We welcome our new Dean, with his wife Nicolette, and his many children and grandchildren to our family. We are grateful for his demonstrated commitment to faith, his grounding in liberation theology, and wealth of experience using the radical message of Jesus to speak on behalf of justice, equality and a better world for all South Africans and oppressed people.
“His wealth of experience and leadership led to a unanimous vote of the Council specified by the Acts to approve his nomination as new Dean. We look forward to the following years of his service with us.”
